Chiang Mai to Chiang Mai, via the jungle

EDIT: to add a couple of things, and also to be nicer about the French.

Evening all,

I'm laying on my front in bed with my legs up in the air and my ankles crossed, in the traditional "lazing about" pose. With the Yeah Yeah Yeahs playing, and the air-con on full, drinking diet coke. Hope that gives you a good picture :)

Feeling very dopey/content after the one-two knockout combination of a Thai massage and a good feeding from Ratana's Kitchen (again!), pumpkin/beef curry, noodles, diet coke and spring rolls. I think the total for the massage and the meal was 260 baht, which is roughly a fiver. This makes me amazingly happy. And dopey, as I said. It's currently 8.30pm here, and after I've written this post I'm going to watch some Peep Show and get some sleep, ready to get up at about 9 tomorrow, have a huge coffee and toast/jam with fruit salad, read in the sunshine in the hammock for a while, pick up my laundry, and then some sushi for lunch. It is a very tough life, isn't it? However, I then have catch a flight to Luang Prabang (Laos) on Laos Air, who fly small propellor planes so that'll be exciting and maybe a little bit terrifying when we land in the airport (a field).

Thank you all for your comments so far, it makes me ridiculously and disproportionately happy to see that I have another noodle when I log on :) To answer a few questions: Dad, the labyrinthitis (as the dr said, nothing to do with Bowie though) is a LOT better, it sounds ridiculous but I think the flight might've sorted it out, possibly equalising the fluid or something. It came back a teeny bit this morning but I'm pressing on with the Stugeron to get rid of it. Don't really want it kicking in on the plane, can you imagine feeling like you were falling very quickly, while at 37,000ft?! Ben, I did have some happy water in the village, it was like whisky only I actually liked it - it made me feel very warm inside and I fell asleep very quickly, although that might've been the 9km trek etc. Mark, I don't have my leopardprint cardi with me :( I do however have my scarf, so maybe next time I'll wrap it round my eyes a few times, and then "rawr" a bit just for effect. They will probably cage me and charge tourists 500baht to pet me (they do offer that in Chiang Mai. KTHXNO.).

SO. The trek: in which Louise finds friendly Parisians (who don't smoke Gauloises or shrug nonchlantly!)

I'd heard from Ben that this particular trek was really good (~£36 for two days and one night of trekking in Chiang Mai province, including a hike, swimming in a waterfall, hot springs, riding an elephant, bamboo rafting and meeting people who live in tribes in the hills of the hungle, 2x lunch, one dinner and one breakfast included), and also from a few people at the guest house who had done it already. They said it very much depended on the group that you had, however, and I was really hoping to meet lots of different people from various countries, of various ages, backgrounds etc. SO when I found out that it was either not do the trek, or do it with two other people (who I had met briefly and who seemed standoffish, abrupt, were a married couple and above all else were from Paris), I hesitated a fair bit. But decided to do it anyway - and I'm really pleased I did. They ended up being really sweet, and 35 so they were a bit protective of me when I was visibly scared of our bamboo raft capsizing. The guides didn't eat with us and the tribe people didn't greet us when we turned up, but I'm not under any illusions as to the 'authenticity' of the trek: it's the main thing that people go to Chiang Mai to do, and they must all get fed up of seeing a never-ending stream of tourists. However, when we spent a night in a village, we had a campfire and sat with lots of the Thais (not the women, strangely..) and while one of them played guitar there was general singing of Thai songs (them) and 60s British/American pop which they strangely knew. I expected things like the Beatles, but I didn't expect the Everly Brothers and Neil Young! So we all joined in with that, and it was very cosy and everyone bonded a bit, which was nice. Although no-one else knew the words to anything so it just ended up being me with guitar backing. The Thais did try, though, and my favourite bit (of the whole trek, I think) was singing Eric Clapton where the first line of Tears in Heaven came out as "I don't know my name.. if I see you in heaven". Better than the original?

I wouldn't say the entire trek was pleasant, mostly the bit where it was very very muddy and my shoes refused to grip so I kept slipping over :( and landing next to HUGE insects, and the bit where a beetle jumped out of a tree into my hair (this is the second time this has happened in 18 months, what is it with beetles and my huge hair?), but this was all more than compensated for by the highlights, and I am so pleased I did it - it was a great way to spend 2 days and the people were all really good company and interesting to talk to. My personal faves were the campfire, singing, drinking magic water (locally-made moonshine, SO STRONG) and looking at the stars/moon; the elephant ride which, after I got over the feeling that we were going to be thrown into the river, was really relaxing and funny when he kept stopping to grab entire branches in his trunk; swimming in the waterfall with a beautiful blue sky and beating sun - I literally felt like I was in an advert for a tropical paradise or possibly just Herbal Essences; and chatting to the guides on the trek, which took my mind off my aching legs - it was really interesting to find out about their lives and just generally more about Thailand. Oh and cuddling the cat and bunny in the village was great too - I don't think either of them carry rabies/Japenese B Encephalitis, right? SO all in all, good value for money and the French couple have very kindly offered to email me pictures they have that feature me - I revoke all of the stereotypes about the French I've ever propagated. I should also mention that the tribespeople were for the most part wearing European football shirts, loads of Man U/ Liverpool and I saw a numberplate earlier with Chelsea FC on it - no Arsenal I'm afraid, dad!

Anyway, I'll wrap things up now. Suffice it to say that Chiang Mai is really nice, I could easily spend another few days taking it all in. Like any great place it's full of tourists but I have found them to be without exception nice ones, and I do feel safe walking around here. The guest house is great too, they've been going since 1987 and the reason they're not in the guide book is, apparently, because the Lonely Planet asked them for money to be featured!! All the more reason to find my own places to stay and eat, or go on recommendations.

Anyway, I shall next update from Laos. In the meantime, please do keep commenting and emailing, it's very much appreciated.

Lots of love.

xxxxx Lou